Automatic ribbon-reverse



0. A. HOKANSONH AUTOMATIC RIBBON REVERSE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 10, 1919.

1 ,385,548, 7 Patented July 26, 19215 0. AJHOKANSON.

AUTOMATIC RIBBON REVERSE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR I0, 1919- 1,385,538. Patented July 26, 1921.

4 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

0. A. HOKAN'SON.

AUTOMATIC RIBBON REVERSE. APPLICATION FILED m. 10, 1919.

1,385,548. I Patented July 26, 1921 4 SHEETS-SHEET a.

0. A. HOKANS'ON.

AUTOMATIC RIBBON REVERSE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR- 10, 1919.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

Patented July 26, 1921.

UNITED STATES P ENT OFF-ICE.

OTTO A. HOKANSON, OF WOODSTOCK, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOIt TO WOODSTOCK TYPE- WRITER COMPANY, OF WOODSTOCK, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

7 AUTOMATIC RIBBON-REVERSE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 26, 1921.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, OTTO A. HoKANsoN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Woodstock, in' the county of McHenry and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Ribbon-Reverse, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object the provision of mechanism of the class named which shall :be of improved construction and operation.

. The invention is exemplified in the combination and arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings and described in the following specification, and it is more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a portion of a typewriter showing one embodiment of the present invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail of one feature of the invention.

Fig. 3 is a modification of the detail shown in Fig. 2. v

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1

Fig. '5 isa detail of onefeature of the mechanism'shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing a modification of th invention.

Fig. 7 is a vertica section on line 7--7 of Fig. 6.

ig. 8 is a vertical section on line 88 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 shows a detail.

In the drawings, the numeral 10 designa-tes a portion of the top plate of a typewriter frame on which a ribbon spoolcasmg 11 is mounted. The ribbon spool shaft 12 is journaled in the top plate 10 and is provided with a ratchet wheel 13 beneath the plate by which the shaft is rotated. A ribbon spool 14 is held on the upper end of the shaft by means of a removable nut 15. Mounted to slide vertically in an axial openin in the shaft 12 is a rod 16 which is provi ed with a laterally bent portion 17 at its upper end projecting from the shaft 12 through a slot therein. A trip finger 18 is carried by a yoke 19 which is pivotally the pivot screw 21 and has one end bent laterallyto roject into an opening 26 in the collar 22. he other .end of the coil spring 25 pro ects into an opening 27 in the spring lever 23. The lever 23 is provided with an arm 28 which bears against the lower face of the ribbon spool 14 so that the lever is held 1n the positionshown in Fig. 1 by the downward pressure of the spool upon the arm 28 when the spool is held in place on the shaft 12 by the nut-15. When the nut 15 is released and the spool 14 is removed from the shaft 12, the spring 25 will rotate the lever 23 in a clockwise direction about the pivot screw 21, as viewed in Fig. 1, causing the .flange 24 to engage the yoke 19 and swing the trip finger 18 inwardly toward the upper end of the shaft 12. In this way the trip finger 18 is automatically swung into position to permit a new spool, of ribbonto be placed upon the shaft 12. It is understood that the trip finger 18 projects through a slot 29 in the lower flange ofthe ribbon spool and normally lies within the core 30 of the ribbon spool about which the ribbon is'wound. When a new spool is placed upon the ribbon spool holder, the lower flange of the spool will engage the arm 28 and force the s ring lever 23 downwardly so that the trip nger 18 is free to fall into the position shown in Fig. 1 as soon as the ribbon is unwound from the core 30 of the spool 14. The release of the'trip 'finger 18 when the ribbon is unwound automatically reverses the drivin mechanism for the ribbon spools to rewin the ribbon upon the empty spool by mechanism to be described. It may be desirable, in some instances, to provide the thereon which engage opposite sides of an enlarged end 35 on a lever 36 which is pivoted at 37 on a collar 38 carried by a screw 39 projecting downwardly from the lower face of the top plate 10. The end of the lever 36 opposite the enlargement 35 is provided with a cam 40 coiiperating with a cam roller 41 on a bell crank lever 42 pivoted at 43 to the lower face of the top plate 10. The end of'the lever 42 opposite the roller 41 is pivotally connected at 44 to a link 45 which has its opposite end pivoted, as shown in Fig. 5, to an arm 46 carried on an operating shaft 47 for driving the ribbon mechanism. The shaft 47 is oscillated about its axis in a manner well known in the art at each operation of a ty ewriter key. The shaft 47 is provided with a second arm 48 which carries. an operating pawl 49 arranged to engage the notches on the ratchet wheel 13, as shown'in Fig. 4. A holding dog 50 is pivotally mounted at 51 on the lower face of the top plate 10 and is provided with an arm 52 connected by a spring 53 with the operating pawl 49. It will be apparent that the spring 53 tends to draw the two pawls 49 and 50 into engagement with the ratchet wheel 13. The shaft 47 is shift- -able longitudinally in its bearings in the top plate '10 and in the position shown in Fig. 4, the pawls 49 and 50 are thrown out of en agement with the ratchet wheel 13. A shifting lever 54 is provided with a pin 55 which projects into an opening in the periphery of the shaft 47 so that movement of the lever 54 will shift the shaft 47 longitudinally in its bearings. The lever 54 is rigidly connected to the upper end of the collar 38 which carries the lever 35. The lower end of the lever 54 is provided with a beveled point 57 which'engages a roller 58 on the end of a bell crank '59 pivotally mounted at 60 on the plate 10. A spring 61 normally swings the pin 58 into engagement with the beveled end of the lever 54. It will be apparent that whenever the lever 54 is swung upon its pivot screw 39 so that the point of the lever passes the center of the roller 58, the spring 61 will cause the lever to be swung to the opposite extreme of its arc of movement,- thus preventing the lever from remaining in an intermediate position and insuring a complete shifting of the shaft 47 whenever the lever 54 is operated.

The mechanism connected with a single spool only is shown in the drawing, but it is understood that the other spool is provided with similar mechanism and that the shaft 47 is common to both spools. VVhenpivot 37 so that the cam member 40 will be swung upwardly into the path of the roller 41 on the lever 42. When this occurs the oscillation of the. lever 42 will cause the roller 41 to engage the cam 40 as soon as one of the keys of the typewriter is. struck and swing the lever 36 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 4. This, of course, will rotate the collar 38 and the trip lever 54 in a similar direction and bring the pointed end 57 of the lever 54 past the center of the pin 58 on the spring lever 59. The spring 61 will complete the movement of the lever 54 to shift the shaft 47 longitudinally in a downward direction, as viewed in Fig. 4. This will move the pawls 49 and 50 into engagement with the ratchet wheel 13 so that further oscillation of the shaft 47 will rotate the ratchet wheel 13 and cause the ribbon to be wound uponv the spool. The movement of the shaft 47 at the same time, of course, will shift the corresponding pawls out of engagement with the opposite ribbon cam member 40 will be moved downwardly out of the path of the roller 41.. This, however, will not restore the shaft 47 to its original position for the reason that the shaft will be held in the position to which it was shifted by the pin 58 on the lever 59. The shaft will remain in this position until the opppsite spool from that shown in the drawing is unwound at which time the mechanism controlled by that spool will r turnthe shaft to its original position, thus again reversing the ribbon.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 6 to 9, inclusive, the holding pawl 65 is mounted on the pivot 66 and is provided with a pin 67 projecting through an opening in the operating pawl 68 and provided the ratchet wheel 13. The operating pawl 68 is connected at 70 with an arm 71 secured to a collar 72 mounted upon an oscillatory sleeve 73. The sleeve 73 is caused to oscillate whenever a key isstruck, in the same manner as the'oscillation of the shaft 47 in the form of the invention previously described. A shaft 74 extends through the axis of the sleeve 73 and is free to slide longitudinally within the sleeve. A lever 75 is provided with a pin 76 which connects the shaft 74 to the lever 75 in the same manner as the in 55 in the form of the invention previously described. A bell crank 77 is provided with a roller 78 and a spring 79 to coiiperate with the end of the lever 75, similar to the bell crank 59 in the previously described form of the invention- The lever 7 5 is fixed to the upper end of a sleeve 80 pivotally mounted upon a bolt 81 which projects downwardly from the top plate 1'0. An arm 82 is formed integrally with the lever 75 and isprovided with a roller 83 arranged in position to engage the end of a lever-arm 84 rigidly connected with the holding pawl 65 and extending on the opposite side of the pivot 66 from the holding pawl. It will be apparent that if the lever 7 5 is moved in a counter-clockwise direction upon its pivot 81, the roller 83 will engage the end of the lever 84 and move the pawl 65 out of engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 13. 'When this occurs the head 69 on the pin 67 will draw .the pawl 68 out of engagement also with theratchet 13. At the same time the shaft 74 will be shifted longitudinally in the sleeve 73 and will operate mechanism similar to that shown in the drawings, but connected with the other ribbon spool to permit the pawls at the opposite end of the shaft 74 to be brought into engagement with the ratchet at that end and thus reverse the direction of rotation of ribbon spools. The pawl 65 is normally drawn toward the ratchet wheel 13 by a spring 85 connected with an arm 86 formed integrally with the pivotal bearing portion of the pawl 65. Whenever the roller 83 is moved away from the end of the lever 84, by movement of the shaft 74, the pawl 65 will be automatically drawn into engage ment with the ratchet '13 by the spring 85. A spring 87 will also draw the pawl 68 into engagement with the ratchet wheel whenever such movement is permitted by the head 69 on the pin 67.

Connected at 88 to the arm 71 is a slide bar 89 having a slo 90 through which a screw 91 is passed, t e screw being carried by a depending member 92 extending downward ly from the top plate 10. The end of the bar 89 carries an up-turned flange 93 in position to engage a roller 94011 the end of an arm 95 carried by a .member 96 pivotally mounted at 97 on-the sleeve 80. Themember 96 has a second arm 98 provided with a laterally extended portion 99 which lies between the flanges 33 and 34 of the disk 32. It will-be understood that when the ribbon is unwound from the ribbon spool and the disk 32 is dropped downwardly the roller 94 will be lowered into the path of movement of the flange 93 on the slide bar 89, but when the ribbon is wound upon the spool and the disk 32 is lifted, the member 96 will be raised about its pivot 97 and the roller 94 will be lifted above the path of movement of the upturned flange 93.

The parts in Fig. 6 are shown in the position they occupy when the ribbon is being wound on the spool. The parts will continue in the positions shown until the ribbon is unwound. from the opposite spool at which time the shaft 74 will be shifted downwardly, as viewed in Fig. 6 to rotate the lever 7 5 in a counterclockwise direction which will cause the roller 83 to engage the lever 84 and move the pawls 65 and 68 out of engagement with the ratchet wheel 13. The same rotation of the lever 75 will shift the roller 94 to the right, as viewed in Fig. 6, so that it will be in position to be engaged by the flange 93 when-the ribbon has become unwound from the ribbon spool, and the roller 94 is dropped downwardly into the path of oscillation of the flange 93. It will be understood that the bar 89 and flange 93 are oscillated each time one of the keys of the typewriter is struck and as soon as the rib- .bon becomes unwound front the ribbonspool,

the roller 94 will be lowered into the path of movement of the flange 93 and the next operation of a type key will shift the roller 94 and the mechanism controlled thereby into the position shown in Fig. 6 and throw the operating pawls 65 and 68 immediately into engagement with the ratchet wheel 13' so that the ribbon begins at once to be rewound upon the ribbon spool. In this way complete reversalof the ribbon is effected at a single stroke of a typewriter key after the ribbon has become unwound from one of the spools. This avoids the necessity of the ribbon remaining stationary and receiving the impact of the type on one spot for a number of strokes of the typewriter keys as isthe case where a number of strokes of the typewriter is required for reversing the ribbon feed mechanism. The same quick reversal of the ribbon feed is accomplished by the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive.

I claim 1. The combination with a ribbon spool,

of mechanism for rotating said spool, means for reversing said rotating mechanism to cause reversal of the direction of movement of a ribbon wound upon said spool, means for actuating said reversing means, said ac-.

tuating means being arranged to move at each printing operation, and means controlled by the ribbon on said spool for moving saidreversing means into operative relation with said actuating means to cause a reversal. of the movement of said ribbon.

2. The combination with aribbon spool, of a drive shaft therefor arranged to oscillate about its axis, means for shifting said shaft longitudinally of its axis for reversing the rotation of said spool, means actuated by the oscillation of said shaft for actuating the shifting means for said shaft, and a device controlled by theribbon on said spool .for effecting an operative connection between said shaft-shifting means and the actuating means therefor.

3. In combination, a ribbon spool, an oscil atory shaft for operating said spool,

means for shifting said shaft to reverse the direction of rotation of said spool, and a device controlled by the ribbon upon said spool for connecting said shifting means with said shaft so that the oscillation of said shaft will operate said shifting means.

4. In combination, a ribbon spool, an oscillatory shaft for rotating said spool, a movable member actuated by the oscillation of sai shaft, means for shifting said shaft longitudinally to reverse the direction of rotation of said spool, and a device controlled by the ribbon upon said spool and shiftedinto and out of position to be en gaged by said movable member, said device being connected with the shifting means for said shaft to produce a longitudinal movement of said shaft when said device is engaged by said movable member. I

5. In combination, a ribbon spool, an oscillatory shaft for rotating said spool, means for shifting said shaft longitudinallyto reverse the direction of rotation of said spool, a device operated by the oscillation of said shaft for actuating said shifting means, a pivoted lever movable into and out of position for connecting said shifting means with its actuating device, and means controlled by the ribbon on said spool for moving said lever to produce a shifting of said shaft when the ribbon is unwound from said spool.

6. An automatic ribbon reverse comprisingribbon actuating mechanism, a control lever arranged to move about an axis in one direction to produce a reversal of said actuating mechanism and pivoted to move about an axis in another direction into and out of operative position, and means engaging said control lever to shift said lever into and out of operative position, said shifting means being arranged to permit movement of said lever to perform areversing operation of said actuating means while continuing in engagement with said lever.

7. In combination, a ribbon spool, an oscillatory shaft for actuatin said spool, a pivoted arm for shifting said shaft longitudinally to reverse the direction of rotation of said spool, a lever for actuating said arm, means actuated by the oscillation of said shaft for moving said lever, and a device controlled by the ribbon on said spool for shifting said lever into and out of position to be engaged by said lever-movmg means to cause said lever to actuate said arm and produce a reversal of the rotation of said s 001.

8. Iii combination, a ribbon spool, mechanism for rotating said spool, means for reversin'g said spool-rotating mechanism, a lever for controlling said reversing means, and a member controlled b the ribbon on said spool for engaging'sai lever to permit freemovement o said lever in one direction while remaining in engagement therewith but arranged to move said lever in an-.

other direction to shift said lever into and out of position to cause reversal of said spool-actuating mechanism.

9. In combination, a ribbon spool, a movable device controlled by the ribbon on said spool and arranged to be shifted when the ribbon feeding mechanism, of means having its complete operation limited to a single stroke of said typewriter for reversing said ribbon feeding mechanism, and means for controlling said ribbon reversing means to cause the same to be operated to reverse said ribbon feeding mechanism while theribbon remains slac 11. In a typewriter, the combination vwith ribbon feeding mechanism, of means con trolled by the ribbon fed by said-mechanism while said ribbon remains slack for reversing said mechanism, said reversing means being actuated under the control of said ribbon and through its'complete range of movement during a single operation of a typewriter key to effect a complete reversal of said ribbon feeding mechanism.

.12. In a typewriter, a ribbon spool, means for rotating said spool to wind a ribbon thereon, means for controlling said spool rotating means to cause reversal of the direction of rotation of said spool, means for actuating said controlling means through its complete range of movement. during a single operation of said t ewriter to completely said spool rotating means, and means for causing said actuatmg means to operate upon said controlling means when the ribbon is unwound from said s 001 and while it remains slack.

i3. n a typewriter, ribbon feeding mechanism, means for reversing said ribbon feeding mechanism, means for controlling said reversing means arranged to be actuated when the ribbon on said typewriter reaches a predetermined relation with its feedin mechanism, and means for actuating sai ribbon reversing mechanism through its complete range of movement during a single stroke of said t pewriter subsequent to .the actuation of sai controllin means.

14.. n c mbinati n, a rib on spo l, means for rotating said spool to Wind a ribbon thereon, key actuated mechanism for reversingvsaid rotating means, and means controlled by the ribbon for rendering said key actuated reversing mechanism operative when the ribbon has been unwound from said spool and while the ribbon remains slack to positively cause complete reversal of said rotating means at a single operation of said key actuated reversing mechanism.

In t":'.".l...cnv whereof I have signed my name to this specification on this 1st day of March, A. D. 1919.

OTTO A. HOKANSON. 

